


A roadtrip of emotions

by Harebelle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Baby Chocobos are so cute, Camping, Chocobos, Crush, Feelings, M/M, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Relationship(s), Sad Prompto, beautiful boys, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24660433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harebelle/pseuds/Harebelle
Summary: Gladiolus notices that Prompto has left the camp one night, and goes to find his friend.Prompto reveals his feelings. This is short and pure fluff!
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	A roadtrip of emotions

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place quite early in FFXV, and I’ve only just started playing this game, so forgive me for anything that doesn’t fit with the canon!

Gladiolus wasn’t sure what woke him, and he sat up and instinctively scanned the tent for danger. The night was warm, so through the combined light of the moon and the bug zapper outside, he could clearly see his friends.

Noctis was sleeping on his back, an arm draped across his eyes. Ignis slept on his side, looking much less serious without his nickname-sake spectacles. Gladiolus felt a twist of deep caring in his chest for his friends, but his heart fluttered with concern at the empty sleeping bag belonging to Prompto, especially as the blonde’s camera and phone lay beside the pillow; Prompto without his camera was almost impossible to imagine. Something must have been wrong.

The Shield remained still for a few minutes, listening intently for any sounds besides his friends’ breathing. Nothing.

Gladiolus changed into a vest and jeans, then quietly left the tent and retrieved his boots, pulling them on while glancing around the campsite. Apart from a thin tendril of smoke rising from the embers of their fire, nothing moved, and the warm air carried no sounds for clues of where Prompto might be.

‘Where are you, buddy?’ he muttered.

Gladiolus climbed down the ridge they were camping on and stood on the grass below, leaning against the rockface, thinking. There had been no struggle, so Prompto must have left on his own free will. Why would he leave and where would he go without his belongings?

Ignis had commented that Prompto seemed more quiet than usual over dinner, but Gladiolus had chalked it up to the blond being exhausted from their fight with the giant beast Deadeye early that morning.

Gladiolus’ own muscles ached from that hunt and he longed to return to bed, but not while the youngest member of their group was alone out there.

He thought about the later events of the day. Prompto had been delighted when they’d given the news of their successful hunt to the local chocobo stables and the birds were safe to roam outside. But had he been okay after that? The Shield wanted to kick himself for not paying any particular attention to the boy. Something was wrong and he had failed to notice.

He decided to try looking for Prompto at the stables, and if that yielded no results, he’d wake the prince and Ignis for a serious search. The chocobo farm wasn’t very far, and if he ran, Gladiolus could be there in a few minutes.

This would be the first time on their journey that he’d left the prince’s side, but something told him that Prompto wouldn’t want everyone to be looking for him. He’d sworn to protect Noctis in a ceremony, but he’d made a silent vow to himself years before to protect all of his friends with his blade and life.

~ ~ ~

Wiz Chocobo Post was quiet and most lights were off for the night, apart from a few dimmed lanterns around the shop. Gladiolus stopped at the closed entrance, panting in the friendly smell of vegetables, fresh hay, straw and the feathery creatures.

When he’d regained his breath, he climbed the fence and beelined for the biggest cluster of yellow feathers he could see in the moonlight.

‘Prompto?’ he called quietly.

Most of the birds shifted, lifting their long necks to look at him sleepily before deciding he wasn’t a threat. They were huddled in a group, laying on the ground, and there amongst them was a definitely human shape, with chocobo-coloured hair. The Shield felt his heart flutter in relief.

Prompto was sat on the straw covered sand, leaning against the cluster of sleeping chocobos, who didn’t seem bothered by his presence at all. The blond raised his eyebrows at Gladiolus, but didn’t get up.

Gladiolus wasn’t great with emotions and reading people, so he didn’t know what to read in his friend’s gaze, but he walked over and sat down beside him, shoulder to shoulder, with his back against a snoring bird.

‘Hey, kid.’

Prompto didn’t move away, though the Shield noticed the younger man’s breathing increase.

‘Hey, Gladio. You found me. And we’re practically the same age,’ there was something sad in Prompto’s tone.

Gladiolus ran a hand through his dark hair in thought. He wanted to say something helpful, but couldn’t find the words.

‘Look, you could have met a monster on the way here. You know we don’t travel alone at night.’

‘You came here alone, too,’ the blond said flatly.

‘Yeah, and I’m stupid for doing it. But I had a feeling you didn’t want to talk to the whole gang. Am I right?’

‘ _Obviously_ ,’ was the sarcastic reply. ‘Ah, I’m sorry… I’m being rude. I just have these thoughts and feelings and they’re making me act like a jerk.’

‘It’s okay, Prompt. What’re you doing out here?’ he thought Prompto’s eyes looked watery, but didn’t comment.

‘Enjoying company who I can’t let down,’ he absently petted a baby chocobo that had waddled over to his other side.

‘What do you mean?’

‘So you really didn’t notice? And I guess Ignis didn’t say anything,’ he stared down at nothing while talking.

Gladiolus gave his friend a little shove with his shoulder. ‘Prompto, come on. Just tell it to me straight. If I did something to piss you off, just tell me.’

‘When we were fighting Deadeye. There was a moment when you were knocked flying and you called for me to help. Ignis and Noct had their hands full and I was closest to you—’

‘That fight was a blur, Prompt.’

‘Let me say it. I just ran towards you without thinking first and got myself blindsided, then Ignis had to help me and then help you,’ he picked up the baby bird and hugged it to his chest, tears clearly streaming now. ‘I tried to explain to Ignis after the fight, but he was his calm, reasonable self and just told me that it’s fine and these things happen.’

‘These things _do_ happen.’

‘They happen to me a lot. I notice. How I get totally overwhelmed more often than you guys and _I can’t protect you_ , Gladiolus.’

The total despair he was witnessing broke the warrior’s heart, and he turned to pull Prompto into a tight hug, careful to not crush the chocobo.

Gladiolus spoke without releasing his friend from the embrace. ‘None of us think that about you. We’re a team, and we all support each other.’

Prompto pulled back, smiling and wiping his tears with the hand that wasn’t hugging the chocobo. ‘I don’t think you get what I meant, Gladio. I mean I worry a lot about you, specifically.’

Gladiolus felt his ears grow hot and he knew he was blushing. ‘You mean, uh—’

‘Yeah, I think I love you, man,’ Prompto laughed. He was blushing too, and the Shield thought it was pretty adorable, though his mind was a whirlwind.

‘Here,’ the blond thrust the fluffy bird into Gladiolus’ lap and leapt to his feet. ‘I love you, Gladiolus Amicitia. I feel amazing saying it out loud!’ he did a mad dance around, churning up sand and straw, to the annoyance of the sleeping chocobos. He reached down and pulled the stunned Shield up and stood, holding his hand and looking up into his eyes.

‘I’ve been confused for a while, then I thought it was a little crush, but seeing how you could have been really hurt today made me realise what’s up.’

Then something seemed to click in the blond’s mind and he looked shocked, slowly looking down at their entwined fingers.

‘I—uh—I just told you that and now you know—’ he wobbled slightly, and Gladiolus thought the boy might faint.

‘Whoa, sit down!’ he guided Prompto onto a bale of hay and sat on the ground beside it, thoughts racing.

They both sat in silence for a few moments, under the moon.

‘I think… I don’t know how I feel about you back, Prompt. I love you, but I love Specs and Noctis too, you know?’

‘Yeah, I know. This is going to change everything between us, isn’t it?’

Gladiolus looked down at his tattoos, thinking about his reply carefully. ‘It doesn’t have to… I’m glad you’re okay and you feeling that way about me is okay too. I just can’t promise to feel the same way.’

A thought was swirling in his mind, like the sand he sat on.

_Maybe I do feel the same? Maybe I have for a long time and just didn’t know what to do about it?_

He thought about when they’d first met, and how they chatted and played together. He thought about how Prompto always made him laugh and that his joining their group had made it feel complete.

He stood and looked down into Prompto’s blue eyes. He smiled. ‘We can’t leave Noct and Specs alone for much longer. Let’s see how I feel in the morning.’

The baby chocobo squeaked happily up at them. Prompto petted it and rose, bumping Gladiolus’ arm in a mock punch. ‘Thanks for hearing me out, big guy.’

They walked back to camp, through the quiet night.


End file.
